IBM's NICA is a digital print media archiving solution that enables users to quickly and easily digitize, store and retrieve their photos, graphics and text. The solution is designed to preserve historical media, increase productivity and shorten production time -- all crucial elements in the deadline sensitive newspaper industry.

NICA includes features similar to the AP Preserver and offers additional functions that AP Preserver users have been requesting. The Associated Press also plans to assign ownership of AP Preserver 4.0 source code to IBM for potential use in enhancing NICA and making the upgrade path for AP-member newspapers even easier.

NICA also enables newspapers to continue using IBM's award-winning RS/6000 servers, which hosted the AP Preserver application. RS/6000 systems currently hold many server performance records, are ultra reliable and scaleable, and provide a cost-effective way for newspapers and publishers to exploit the latest e-business advancements in information technology.

As an added benefit to AP members, IBM will leverage its recently announced relationship with CCI Europe, one of the world's leading developer and supplier of editorial and advertising solutions for the newspaper industry. The IBM/CCI solutions provide additional value to AP Preserver users wishing to upgrade with a complete digital media management and production system for newspapers and publishers.

"When we decided to discontinue further development work on the AP Preserver, we set out to find a technology partner that could build on the high quality of service and industry expertise that AP Preserver users were accustomed to," said Tom Brettingen, director of business development at AP. "We found IBM's comprehensive service and support offerings, technology leadership and deep industry knowledge to be the most natural upgrade path for our newspaper members."

"IBM is committed to the same tradition of excellent service and technology established by The Associated Press," said Steve Dienna, global publishing segment executive, IBM Global Media and Entertainment Industry. "We further look forward to increasing members' functionality and productivity through NICA and our relationship with industry leader CCI Europe."

"CCI has worked with IBM and AP for several years and is thrilled to continue our collaboration in bringing the next-generation publishing solution to AP members," said Carsten J. Christensen, president, CCI Europe. "This relationship consolidates our mutual strengths, and positions us for the publishing industry challenges of the future."

IBM and CCI agreed last fall to integrate NICA with CCI Europe's front end publishing systems, NewsDesk and AdDesk. The IBM/CCI solutions provides a complete digital media management and production system for newspapers and publishers, allowing text, images, graphics, ads, pages -- essentially any digital print media content -- in a variety of formats to be stored and retrieved using powerful search functions. This helps to boost the productivity of editorial and advertising staff by enabling them to locate and access historical material rapidly and precisely.

David Rocha, AP Preserver product manager at AP, is joining IBM as digital media solutions manager for the NICA/6000. AP will continue to provide technical support through 2002 for users of the current AP Preserver systems.

Separately announced today, IBM and CCI Europe revealed the initial results of their collaboration; the companies will install their integrated publishing solution at the San Antonio Express News. Also announced separately today, NICA/6000, previously available only in Europe, is now available worldwide.